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PRAMBANAN

The tallest and the most beautiful Hindu temple In the world Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple of ancient Java, and the construction of this royal temple was probably started by Rakai Pikatan as the Hindu Sanjayas answer to the Buddhist Sailendra's Borobudur and Sewu temples nearby.

Built in the 9th century, this is the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Rising above the centre of the last of these concentric squares are three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities (Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma) and three temples dedicated to the animals who serve them. The temple compound located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta city on the boundary between Yogyakarta and Central Java province, Indonesia.

It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the towering 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

Prambanan Temple Complex is the largest Shiva temple complex in Java consisting of 240 temples and was completed around 900 A.D. The temple was abandoned, crumbled down and collapsed in about 1600 AD. The reconstruction of Prambanan Temple started in 1918 and the main Shiva Temple was completed in 1953. In 1991, Prambanan Temple was inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List. Ref. 642. (Source: UNESCO)

The Mataram kingdom, which first appeared in 732 A.D. was the largest kingdom in ancient Java. At that time, the Mataram Kingdom was ruled by Sanjaya, a Hindu nobleman who had authority over the fertile area between the Opak and Progo rivers. In 750 A.D., the Buddhist Syailendra Dynasty expelled Sanjaya, along with his family. They self-exiled in the high land area outside the Mataram Kingdom's border. One century later, Rakai Pikatan, a descendant of King Sanjaya, married into the Syailendra family clan, and thus held the kingdom's reins of power. During his reign, Hindu influence was reborn and many temples were built, including the construction of Prambanan Temple complex.

Rakai Pikatan began to build the temple complex in 856 A.D. in commemoration of the Sanjaya Dynasty's return to power. A century later, however, the Mataram Kingdom along with its people moved to East Java, and Prambanan was left ignored. Later, the temple collapsed during a terrifying earthquake in the sixteenth century. In 1930, restoration of the temple began and is still being conducted today. The three temples on the main grounds dominate the complex. However, the most impressive temple is a huge building in the middle of the complex which rises up to 47 meters tall: Roro Jonggrang Temple. Experts say that Roro Jonggrang Temple is dedicated to Siva while the two smaller temples in the north and the south of Roro Jonggrang are dedicated to Vishnu and Brahma.